Dave Devries has published a book called The Monster Engine. It is a collection of art work by children which has then been rendered realistically by artists. It is rather interesting because I love how the artists have fully captured the spirit behind the kid's drawings. Seeing them reproduced professionally also gives them a degree of artistic credibility they wouldn't have otherwise as Maddox has pointed out, repeatedly and also profited by.

This one is truly scary and where is his crown?

Davie Devries explains the provenance of his book:

The Monster Engine is a book, a demonstration, lecture and a gallery exhibition. The premise for all three came from one single question: What would a child’s drawing look like if it were painted realistically?

It began at the Jersey Shore in 1998, where my niece Jessica often filled my sketchbook with doodles. While I stared at them, I wondered if color, texture and shading could be applied for a 3D effect. As a painter, I made cartoons look three dimensional every day for the likes of Marvel and DC comics, so why couldn't I apply those same techniques to a kid’s drawing? That was it... no research, no years of toil, just the curiosity of seeing Jessica’s drawings come to life.

The book is a 48-page collection of drawings, paintings, photos and interviews. The book’s preface explains, in depth, the history, intentions and results of this seven-year project

I love this one. Fire on the head and water in the body
and a birdlike familiar thing

I'd love to know about some of the reactions of the children who see their creations rendered in colours and textures with backgrounds. Was it what they envisioned?

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comments:

I wondered the same thing. I'm sure some of these monsters came right out their nightmares. I would have been freaked out as a kid to see a nightmare brought to life like that. Shoot, I'd be freaked out NOW if someone did that.